Occlusal grinding device for articulators



July 19, 1927. 1,636,304

M M. HOUSE OQCLUSAL GRINDING DEVICE FOR ARTICULATORS Filed NO 16. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill/17688. V g

Jul 19 1927.

y M. M. HOUSE QCCLUSAL GRIiiDING-DEVICE FOR ARTICULATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 16. 1925 filmy/Ital;

as is employed in the making of artificial Patented July 19, 1927.

[UNITED STATES mrus m. nousn; or Kansas mourn.

OCCLUSAL onmnme manor 1m an'rrcunnrons.

' Application filed November 16, 1985. Serial 1T0; 68,94.

The present inventionrelates to dental appliances, andlaims to provide a'novel. and eflicient form of occlusal grinding device for usezwith articulating apparatus, such dentures or likeiworkr The principal objectinview is to provide anmechanism which;

may be applied to articulators for the purpose of performing such a grinding operation as will eliminate the locked relation which. commonlyexists between sets of artificialteeth, my improved grinding operation resulting in a horizontal freedom of movement of the dentures in the various positions of occlusion. which they may assume.

a grinding effect simulating that which is due to the ordinary wear of natural teeth inthe normal use ofthe same. 1

As actually embodied in practice, I have devised a grinding mechanismadapted to "beremovably attached to the articulator,

and including a movable plate having means of attachment to the upper denture, andprovided with a pair of eccentrics operated in unison toeffect the desired movement of the movable plate in the operation of grind-- ing. A common drive member, designed to be operated by belt power, is arranged for driving the eccentric elements in unison, with the axes of the eccentric elements so located as to result in a grinding movement ofthe plate having its forward limit of I movement corresponding to the position of normalcentral occlusion of the dentures.

It is further soughtto provide a device of the character described in which provision is made for initially adjusting the osition of the movable plate sothat it wil be symmetrically arranged with reference to what is known as the sagittal plane.

With the foregoing principal objects in View, as well as'various minor objects which will appear in the course of the detailed descriptionfthe invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form ofconstrucquired for accommodating the movement of the upper .frame member 8 in accordance tilon which have devised for embodying .t 1elproposed improved mechanism, after whic those features and combinations "deemed to be novel will be forth and. claimed.

particularly set In, the drawings-- a I Figure, 1 is a side elevation, illustrating an ,articulator having an occlusal grinding device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Flg ure 2 is a plan View ofthe same; 7

' Figure 3 is a central vertical section,

taken, on the line IIIIII of Figure 2, the

denture models being omitted; v

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, taken on the'line IV-I V of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is, a detail section, taken on th Referring now to the drawings in detail,

these illustrate the improved. occlu-sal; grinder in its operative relation to a common and well known form; of articulator now in commercial, use, this articulator comprising. a lower supporting frame 7 and an upper frame" member 8 which ismovably supported upon the lower frame 7 for pivotal sliding movement by means of what are known as rotation points 9, 10, engaging suitably curved or inclined surfaces, as rewith: the different ooclusal positions' assumed by the upper denture 11 with reference to the lower denture 12 (see Figure 1). The middle portion of the upper frame member 8 isjengaged by a spring element 14 secured centrally tothe' upper portion ofthe lower frame member 7, said spring acting to maintain the dentures" in yielding engagement in p all positions of the grinding operation.

To the lower frame member 7 is detachably secured, as by means of the clamping screws 15, the usual denture model support 16 having its forward end provided with the 1-0 inclined surface 17 for engagement with the lower end of the usual incisor guide pin 18 carrying the incisor guideelement 19, the upper-end of the? pin 18 being designed to be clamped to the forward end of the .usual upper model support; which is attached to the upper frame 8, said upper model sup-m port, however, not being illustr'ated'in the drawings, but being displaced by thegrind- "ing device forming the subject of the pres nu ent application,

M A 1536,3 04" PATENT oFF-icE.

The improved grinding device herein illustrated is" designed to be mounted in lieu of the upper denture model support in any of the common forms of articulators, the connection in the present construction to the upper articulator frame 8 being made by means of the attaching screws2l already present for the attachment of the upper model supporting arm, these screws2l operating to secure the rear end of the fixed grinder plate 22, the forward end of which is provided with a passage 23*for the upper end of the incisor pin 18, which is held in position by means of a clamping screw 24.

To the under face of the plate 22 is applied the movable grinder plate 25 which is provided with retaining screws 26 for holding the plaster cast that supports the upper denturemodel 11. The plate 25-is supported by means of a set o '-1crews-28, the lower ends of which are supplied with'nuts 29 engaging the under face of the plate .25; openings 30 are provided in the plate 22 of sufficient size to acconnnodate the movements of the screws 28 corresponding tothe-movement of the plate 25, the heads of said screws 28 being engaged 'bywashers 31 supported by the margins of the openings 30, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

At opposite sides of the center of the plate 25, thesame is provided with a pair of vertical stub shafts 32 for the mounting of gear wheels 33 formed with. eccentric hub portions 34 mounted in openings 35v formed in the plate 22; the upper margins of these openings 35 are. flanged, as shown at 36 in Figure 5, the height of the flanges 36 being suf ficient to support the eccentricportions of the gears 33 out of engagement with the-upper face of the-plate 25. In l-ine'with the shafts 32, the plate22 iswprovided with a third vertical stub shaft 38'for ournaling a belt pulley 39, to the lower hub portion of.

which is secured a drive gear 40 in mesh with both of the gears 33, suitable belt drive (not shown) being designed to be applied to the pulley 39 for thus operating both of the gear elements 33 in unison and in the same direction, andthus correspondingly operating the eccentric elements 34 actuating the plate 25 andthe denture model 11 supported thereby. I

Adjacent to the front and rear margins of the plate 25, the sameisprovided with the screws projecting upward through openings 46 of a size sufiicient to receive the lock nuts 47 mounted on the screws 45, when said nuts are turned down upon said screws 45. The screws 45 are in line withthe shaft 38 which is po itioned centrally of the plate 22, so that the function of the nuts. 47 is, by being clamped down within the openings 46, to initially position the plate 25 with its middle longitudinal line coinciding with what is known as the sagittal plane of the denture for tal plane, as above explained, the nuts 47 being lowered upon the screws 45 into the openlugs 46 fo thispurpose; in this achustment, care 1s also taken to have the eccentric elements34 in forward position, that is pointing toward the front of the appliance, as represented in Figure 4. This location of the eccentric elements is obtained by rotating the pulley 39 until the openings 50 in the pinion or gears 33 (see Figure 2), which thus serve both as .oil and guide openings, arein front of the shafts 32, which position corresponds to the proper starting points of movement for these eccentric elements.

After the mounting of both models in position, the nuts 47 are raised into clamping engagement with the heads of the screws 45, andpower is applied by means of the. belt attached to the pulley 39. The grinding operation is carried out first for the position of central occlusion, the joint operation of the two eccentric elements 34, as driven from the common gear element 40, resulting in a limited movement of translation of the plate 25 and its upper denture model 11, which movement is thus confined to a circular path of short radius. The term translation, as herein used, has the meaning as employed in dynamics to refer to motion in which all the parts of the moving body follow the same.

effect desired, namely, that corresponding to a mortar and pestle action, most nearly simulating the wear produced by the set of natural teeth in their normal use in mastica-'- tion. Since the eccentric elements operate in unison at opposite sides of the central shaft 38, it is apparent, therefore, that the grindmg operat on 1s carried out symmetrically upon opposite sides of the sagittal plane,

thus resulting in a uniform grinding or 1 tion of normal central occlusion, each grinding movement is effected by a movement of the plate 25 from its rear position toward the frontand back to its rear or starting positionagain.

After grinding for the position for central occlusion, the articulator is adjusted to posi-:.;

tion the teeth ,for what is known as end to end? biting relation, and the operation of grinding is carried out for this position,

occlusion; and following this the same process is carried out for both positions o t right and left lateral occlusion from protrus1veocclusion, and :back to the position of. central occlusion. 7 i

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a practical and eflicient device for carryingout all of the desired objects of the invention, and while I have illustrated What I now regard as the preferred form of embodiment of the improvements, I desire to reserve the right to make all such changes and modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An occlusal grinding device comprising the combination of means for holding a pair of dentures in occluded relation, and means for imparting a translational "movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures and confining said movement to a circular path.

2. An occlusal grinding device for articulators comprising a plate provided with means for detachably connecting the plate to the frame of the articulator, a movable denture supporting plate carried by said first plate, and means for imparting a translational movement of small amplitudeto said movable plate and confining said movement to a circular path. v

3. An occlusal grinding device for articulators comprising a plate provided with means for detachably connecting the plate to the frame of the articulator, a movable denture supporting plate carried by said first plate, means for imparting to saidsupporting plate a translational movement of small amplitude in a circular path, and an incisor guide pin connected with the front of said first plate.

4. An occlusal grinding device for articulators comprising a plate provided with means for detachably connecting the plate to the frame of the articulator, a movable denture supporting plate carried by said first plate, means for adjusting and initially setting said movable plate into symmetrical relation to the sagittal plane and means for imparting to said movable plate a transla-' t-ional movement in a circular path of small radius. I

5. An occlusal grlnding device for articulators, comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the articulator frame, a movable denture supporting plate carried: by said: first plate, ineans comprising a pair of ec-' centric elements for imparting tosaid movable plate a translational movement of small amplitude in'a circular direction, andlmeans for rotating said eccentrics together in l unison;

6.1Anr occlusal grinding device for Mum;

latorsycomprising a plate adapted 'to. besecuredto the articulator frame, a: movable denture supporting plate carried by said first -plate, means for imparting a grmdmg movement to the movableplate comprising a pairot eccentric elements, and gear connections for actuating said eccentric elements together in unison and including means wherebysaid eccentric elements may be set to. start theinitfial movement thereof-in the forward position of said elements corresponding to the normal position of central: occlusion of the articulator.

7-. An occlusal grinding device for articulators, comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the articulator frame, a movable denture supporting plate carried by said first plate, means for adjusting and inltially setting said movable plate into symmetrical relation to the sagittal plane While said plate is in the position corresponding .to

the normal position of .centralocclusion,

means for impartinga grinding movement to the movable plate comprising a pair of eccentric elements with the forward limit of movement of the eccentrics corresponding to the normal position of central occlusion of the denture, and gear connections for actuating said eccentric elements together in unison.

8. A dental grinding process which consists in holding a pair of artificial dentures 1n occluded relation, and producing a translational movement of small amplitude of one of means fol-holding a pair of dentures in occluded relation, and means for imparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures for effecting a triturative action along the points of contact ofthe dentures.

10. A dental appliance comprising a den-' ture-holding member, a second denture-holding member .movable relative to said first member, a denture carried-by each of said members, and means forimparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said denturesfor effecting a milling action between dentures.

'11. A dental appliance comprising a denture-holding member, a second denture-holding. member movable relative to said first member, a denture carried "by each of saidinto diflerent positions ofoccluded relation of the dentures, and means for imparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures for efiecting a triturative'action between the dentures.

.12.. In a dental appliance, the combination of means for holding a pair of dentures in occluded relation, and means for imparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures in a direction substantially coinciding with the occlusal plane and about an axis at right angles to said plane. Y

13. In a dental appliance, the combination of means for holding a pair of dentures in occluded relation, and means for imparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures in a direction substantially coinciding 'with the occlusal plane andabout an axis at right angles to said plane and falling Within the boundary of the lingual portions of the dentures.

1 L. A. dental appliance comprising a pair of dentures, an articulator frame comprising relatively adjustable sections carrying said dentures and operative to maintain the same in occluded relation, and means operating independently of any relative movement between said frame sections for imparting a continuous unidirectional movement of small amplitude to one of said dentures.

In Witness whereof I hereunto aflix m signature. 7

MILUS M. HOUSE. 

